TxDot Looking To Ease Congestion Along Southwest Parkway

Being stuck in traffic can be frustrating and annoying, but the Texas Department of Transportation is working to relieve congestion on one main street in Wichita Falls.

Southwest Parkway is one of the busiest roads in Wichita Falls. Adele Lewis with TxDot said they are doing a study to find out how much it is used and what improvements and adjustments need to be made.

“We know there are improvements that need to be made,” said Lewis. “We know that there are intersections that might need a left hand turning lane. Cues that may need to be longer than they are now to handle more traffic and that is what we want to identify in this project.”

Lewis said they have hired a contractor to do the study. It's a study that has never been done in Wichita Falls. Lewis said it's a unique study because they aren't just putting down the traffic counters that track how many cars go by. She said they are also using cameras on most of the intersections and at potential new intersections along Southwest Parkway. She said they want to find out how long it takes a driver to get from one end of the city to the other by using Southwest Parkway.

One of the reasons why they are doing the study is because there are new apartments, new homes, and new businesses along Southwest Parkway. Lewis said they want to provide the best service for people driving in the area.

After Wednesday, the contractors will collect all of the cameras and take out their microchips. They will ingest all the data collected into their computers and begin determining the results. Lewis said they have until March 2015 to come up with those results. They will present models to TxDot and their recommendations on how they can improve traffic flow.

Many Texomans agreed that there is heavy traffic along Southwest Parkway. Some said they leave a little earlier in the morning if they use Southwest Parkway, especially if they are heading to work.

One Wichita Falls resident said he thinks the traffic's not bad. He said it gets congested at times, but it's not awful. However, he still thinks something needs to be changed.

“I would like to see the timing of the lights change,” said Chris Eustice. “I think there isn't enough warning. For the speed limit you're going you should get a little more warning before a light turns red.”

Many other Wichitans agreed that the length of the lights needs to be longer.

Wichita Falls Animal Services Center is in need of a few items for their four-legged friends. To make it easy for those who want to help this holiday season, they set up a Christmas wish tree in their lobby with ornaments shaped like paws.

Wichita Falls Animal Services Center is in need of a few items for their four-legged friends. To make it easy for those who want to help this holiday season, they set up a Christmas wish tree in their lobby with ornaments shaped like paws.